The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-29

Parbleu, she has got into her daugh- ter's vehicle. That bald-headed gen. tleman is our S0uS- -prefet."
 "And who is that peasant woman in full dress? She seems. quite im- pressed by the grand company in which she finds herself"
 "That is the groom's mother, old Mime. Florent. Doesn't the worthy woman seem happy? Anyhow, there she is, for the first time in her life, riding in carriage"
 them"
 "Who! Jacques Florent? Why, he hasn't a cent to his name"
 "And his wife?"
 "Mlle. Celeste Bondurand has a dowry of 500,000 francs, without men, tioning future expectations"
 "Phew Monsieur Jacques Florent has fallen into a well-lined nest"
 Father Philip smiled approvingly. As his eyes fell upon the occupants of two of the carriages in the cortege, he suddenly exclaimed:
 "There they are! there they a"ew They, were invited, too, it seems "That is capital joke" he added, laughing until the tears rolled down his fat cheeks. "'Tis really good joke! Do you see them?"
 Do see whom? I don't see any thing to laugh at."
 "There, in the sixth carriage, that tall, light haired man at the side of that young girl in pink dress with a white hat, is Monsieur de Vauvilain, the chief bailiff. And in the other vehicle, that small, fat man, with the lady in green; is Monsieur Chapuis, the wealthy land owner. There is no doubt of it, they are both invited to the wedding" {"
 "Why, of course they are, Father Philip, or you would not see them in carriages following the bride. But tell me, why do you find it so funny that those gentlemen should be invited to Mile. Bondurand's wedding?"
 "'Tis true? 1 always forget that you have just arrived and have, as yet, heard nothing of it. If you only knew. An! no, let me laugh"
 "There is an amusing story con- nectcd with the marriage then?"
 "Amusing if you wish-that is, to those who are acquainted with the parties"
 "All the same, tell it to me, father Philip, long to hear it."
 Being well-informed, loquacious inn keeper. Father Philip did nof require much pursuasion. The we'd ding train and the crowd had disap- peared. We were alone on the yer anda, where travellers generally slipped their coffee. 1 ordered two glasses of Madeira, and after tasting this the old fellow commenced as follows:
 q must begin by telling you that Jacques Florent, whom you have just noticed, and who has married so well, was born in this neighborhood. We used to see him, when quite small, going to the parochial school, his satchel on his back, and his hands in his pockets. He was civil, well bred youngster. When he met one he would politely doff his cap, and when school was dismissed, he would never loaf about the streets instead of going home. His mother, who man. ages a small farm near by, would take him to school ill the morning when she came to town to sell the milk of her cows, and would call for him in the evening, on her way home. She was widow, and worked hard to l hrSncr hnt
 On his side, little Jacques worked hard also. One year he won SO many prizes that he could not carry them all. Then his mother determined to send him to. college. She found no sacrifice too great in order to obtain the means of paying for his board and lodging. She would arise an hour earlier in the moring and go to bed later at night, while all day long she would toll like slave. Poor Mother Florent! How she did move about in those days! Luckily it was not long before the youngster was able to provide for himself. He first won a scholarship here, another at college, still another in Paris at the Ecole Centrale, where he stood at the head of his classes.
 "He must be phGnix, then"
 "I don't know about his being a ph9nix, but one thing certain is, that, like his mother, he is hard worker :; and by working hard, one always gets on."
 Il agree with you there."
 "Well, to cut the story short, he succeeded. In Paris, during three years he faithfully attended to his studies, while he gave lessons here and there, and by this means made money enough to meet his smaller expenses. At last, he passed his final examination successfully, and, with his diploma in his pocket, he returned home. His good reputation had pre-